Best Reads - Film & Sound

Someone recently asked me, "what's the best thing to read to get an idea of what you do?" What a great question. Nothing replaces practical work experience when it comes to learning but there are some brilliantly written books and articles to get a good grasp on the industry, and Sound in particular. 

Here's my top 5...

 

1. [Article] Designing A Movie For Sound - Randy Thom

This article is the closest thing to a Film Sound Manifesto.

2. [Book] Film Sound: Theory and Practice - Elizabeth Weis and John Belton (editors)

Essays from the world's most respected film historians, aestheticians, and theorists. Ideal for anyone seeking both a comprehensive introduction to the form and a rich survey of its historical and global evolution.

3. [Book] Sound-On-Film - Vincent LoBrutto

If you're hungry to know more about the craft and its history every page of this book is a feast; 27 interviews with pioneering figures in film sound that take you on a trip from the studio era to contemporary productions. Packed with references, anecdotes and practical examples of legendary films such as Star Wars, Raging Bull or Terminator 2, to name a few.

4. [Book] Soundscape: The School of Sound Lectures 1998-2001 - Larry Sider, Diane Freeman and Jerry Sider (editors)

A compilation of some of the best presentations given at this annual symposium exploring the creative use of sound in arts and media, with a special emphasis on film and screen productions. Contributors include David Lynch, Carter Burwell, Walter Murch amongst other great film sound thinking heads.   

5. [Book] Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen - Michel Chion

Chion has made great advances in coiling a Film Sound lingo, this is his seminal work. A deep book with strong theories on the magical interaction of sound and image.

 

There are many more (I'll do a further reading list sometime), but these are the ones I'd read again if my memory was suddenly wiped out by the M.I.B. If you have other recommendations for essential reading please post them below in the comments.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
 

Big Sounds on a Budget

I've written about recording locally before here. I'm certain there are so many things that are right under our noses, we're just too busy planning big trips to the other side of the world and wishing for a huge budget to enable us to get the 'perfect' (or more importantly, sellable) sounds.

I made a promise to myself some months back, that I'd really try and use any free time for local field trips, and to build a great catalogue of whatever I could find within a few miles' radius. And, last weekend- I found a small airport! Honestly, I hadn't even consider there might be one so close, or that the people would be so friendly, which they were.

 

I ended up getting some perfectly clean recordings, that I'll for sure be able to use in the future. And also made some contacts to hitch rides in future practice flights- always useful! I never imagined I'd be able to get access to inside helicopters just down the road...

Here's a sample of the recordings:

 

And here they are as part of a war scene:

 

Happy weekend everyone! Here's a few cool links to check out...

 

Locke (2014) - A Film Review

Has anyone seen the movie Locke yet? My friend Isabel recommended it to me whilst I was in Spain recently, and it is a real cracker...

I am by no means a movie-snob. I love a big Hollywood blockbuster as much as art house cinema, and I am sure there is room to appreciate the whole spectrum of film making. But every now and then I feel completely nourished by a piece of cinematography, in a way that can only be achieved through subtlety. Steven Knight's Locke is simple and brilliantly executed. It has delicate touches of sound that really build an impressive atmosphere. There is so little visual movement in the film, that all your other senses as part of an audience come in to play; of course sound, but I also wondered if I was seeing things at one point. With some fantastic writing, also by Knight, this is really one to watch if you get the chance.

Engineer Ivan Locke has just received some life-changing news. You aren't sure what until a quarter of a way through the film, but you know the journey he is about to make in his car is going to be wrought with difficulty. On the surface, the entire film is about that journey, and set pretty much in real time you can feel the palpable pace as he drives from one end of England to the other. On a deeper level, we are witnessing one man's battle to redefine the precedent his father set, of being absent and unreliable, in the most difficult of circumstances.

The score is minimal, leaving a massive space for sound, mainly dialogue, to provide most of the tapestry. There are some great moments of low humming, passing cars- which you aren't sure are the beginning note of a sinister soundtrack, or if it really is the noise of another vehicle and you've just fallen deep into the tension of this man's situation. 

As a whole, it is the simplicity of the film which is champion. Tom Hardy is absolutely convincing. As are most of the off-screen actors; with just the faintest whiff of drama-school monologue. But the lead certainly grounds the film enough for you to be swept into his world. The restraint Hardy displays, in contrast with the brutal roles he is better known for playing, is impressive to say the least. Knight's subject of morality at odds with practical solution is explored entirely; as we journey through romantic, professional and paternal relationships via a very likeable character.

I really enjoyed watching this, I think from script to grading it is stellar. Did anyone else see it yet? Would love to know what you thought.

And if you've already seen and liked it, here's a couple of others you might enjoy...

Sound Postcard 02 // Sri Lanka

Autumn has well and truly arrived to Ireland. The wet and windy weather's left me feeling nostalgic for warmer climes- namely Sri Lanka where I lived for a year. It's the most amazing country; so varied, full of history, noisy with a wealth of smell and sound.

This is a little snippet of a journey I took a couple of years ago. I found it in the archives and it brought back a lot of good memories.

Hope it's a cracking week for everyone :) 

It's my birthday, and I'll make like a cowboy if I want to

I'm back in Spain again, on the hunt for more classic Spanish sounds. It's also my birthday! I normally spend it with family, getting gifts and breakfast in bed and general congratulations- but not today. Today I awoke alone in a sleepy Spanish village, spent the morning recording atmospheres in nearby rocky terrain, and the afternoon with some cowboy-types and a load of bulls. I've massively enjoyed it! And obviously had beans for lunch to fit in with the theme. 

Hope you've all had a great start to the week. Here's a few pics from my day...

Thanks to Mr. Teodoro Adell and his son Jose Antonio for their hospitality